This interview is the latest in an Accepted blog series featuring interviews with medical school applicants and students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top medical schools and the med school application process. And now, introducing KC Miller…
Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from?
KC Miller: North Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Accepted: Can you share some fun facts about yourself?
KC Miller: I’m a dual citizen (Canadian and Finnish), I’ve travelled to and explored 19 countries, 4 of those I have lived in.
Accepted: What’s your favorite non-school book (if you have time to read for fun!)?
KC Miller: The Heist by Daniel Silva.
Accepted: You have a BA in Communications. Share with us where you went to school for undergrad and how you made the jump to medicine from that degree.
KC Miller: It’s a long story! I attended Carleton University fully intending to make a career out of writing (journalism or publishing). Over time I had realized how many people close to me had experienced depression and anxiety, and many had lost loved ones to suicide. I myself had also experience with generalized anxiety. I became very passionate about understanding the brain and how happy people can become so sad, and how mental illness affects patients in general. Like most future physicians, I wanted to be able to fix these problems in people one day.
Accepted: What motivated you to pursue a career in medicine?
KC Miller: I saw a gap in health care that revolved around mental illness and treatment options and wanted to contribute to filling it!
Accepted: As an MS3, has medical school met or surpassed your expectations of it?
KC Miller: I think it has met my expectations, although coming from the Arts I didn’t know many people in the medical field with whom I could draw experiences from. So I really didn’t know what to expect.
Accepted: Why did you choose the current school you are in? How did you know it would be a good fit?
KC Miller: Well, coming from a non-science background and not knowing much about medical school in general, I automatically assumed that it would be impossible to get into a North American medical school without having to spend several more years completing pre-req courses. This is a mindset I regret having, that I’ve talked about in videos before. However (at the urge of my insightful mother), I started looking into international schools that still qualified me to sit the US and Canadian boards that would accept my Arts background and few science credits. I ended up still having to take some extra courses, of course, but my school was a good fit because it let me move forward with my educational goals faster than if I had tried to go the US/Canada route.
Accepted: What has been the biggest unexpected challenge you have faced since starting med school?
KC Miller: The biggest challenge, as a Caribbean medical student, was living in the Caribbean so far from the comforts of home while still managing the life change that is medical school. Academically, though, I really wasn’t expecting to have such a hard time figuring out how to actually study the material. I don’t think it was until I got half way through MS2 before I finally figured out the study techniques that work best for my brain!
Accepted: Post med school what are your plans? Do you know what kind of medicine you want to go into?
KC Miller: I have so many big dreams! As far as specialties go, I’m interested in neuropsychiatry and neuroendocrinology. I have always loved the idea of having my own practice where I implement psychotherapy/counselling with my patients. I want to keep doing YouTube and would love to get involved in the film/TV industry one day as well.
Accepted: When did you start your blog, Medumentary? What motivated you to start it?
KC Miller: I started my blog the summer before my first semester as an MS1. I just love to write and I love social media as a form of communication so I felt like I would go crazy if I didn’t maintain that part of my background at least a little bit. The name is a mix of “medicine” and “documentary” so I thought it was a fitting name for my plan to document my journey through medical school. I also wanted to help non-science students know that it’s still possible to get into medical school, and help inform future Caribbean medical students about important aspects of IMG life.
You can follow Medumentary’s experiences by following her blog Medumentary, YouTube channel, Twitter or Instagram. Thank you KC Miller for sharing your story with us!
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